So, I read this very interesting opinion piece this evening...

Before continuing, I suggest you read this op-ed piece from the New York Times first.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/22/young-and-isolated/?_r=0

Now, to a certain extent, all of you Neurotypicals know how I as an Aspie have felt for most of my life. Not knowing who to trust and having your dreams robbed from you is a pretty horrible way to live. I would not wish it on many people.

This part really stuck out to me...

"This self-sufficiency, while highly prized in our culture, has a dark side: it leaves little empathy to spare for those who cannot survive on their own."

It's true. As much as we'd like for everyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, that is not always possible. That was part of the reason why I took a job with Uncle Sam. I didn't want to burden my parents (or anyone else) by living in their house and using their resources. The wisdom of that decision has proven to be a mixed bag at best but, no one promised that life came with many guarantees.

"Working-class youths come to believe that if they have to make it on their own, then everyone else should, too. Powerless to achieve external markers of adulthood like marriage or a steady job, they instead measure their progress by cutting ties, turning inward and numbing themselves emotionally.

We don’t want to go back to the 1950s, when economic stability and social solidarity came at the cost of exclusion for many Americans. But nor can we afford the social costs of going forward on our present path of isolation. The social and economic decline of the American working class will only be exacerbated as its youngest members make a virtue out of self-blame, distrust and disconnection. In order to tell a different kind of coming-of-age story, we need to provide these young men and women with the skills and support to navigate the road to adulthood. Our future depends on it."

This statement, despite ending in a preposition (shame on you, Jennifer M. Silva), also rings true. There can be no going back, not even to an era that seems like a Golden Age of prosperity. While that was certainly true for many in the 1950's, it sure wasn't for all. (Especially if you were Black and living south of the Mason-Dixon line.) Pretending to be the Gary Cooper-type and just getting through it with hard work no longer works. The world changed and our approach to problem solving will also have to change.

So, how do we solve this problem? I'm not sure but, I do have a few ideas. To me, the answer is likely to involve deregulation of Government, severe changes to things like tax policy, import tariffs, social welfare programs and even foreign policy. After all, world peace and prosperity for all can only be achieved in the long-term by increased global trade. Even if two countries hate each other, they won't go to war against each other if there is too much money at stake. Why do you think the English and the French actually get along nowadays? Lord knows they have many good reasons to hate each other.

Also, most of Humanity's current problems will disappear once we develop the technology of a Type-1 Civilization. According to the current gurus of the Physics world like Michio Kaku, that should happen in about 100 years from now. (Barring any kind of unforeseen tragedies like war, terrorism run amok or truly horrific natural disasters.) However, that will be the subject of another blog at another time.

Also, Dr. Kaku, I disagree about the Galactic Empire being a Type-3 civilization. The evidence for that in the Star Wars films is VERY sketchy at best.

- Lord Publius